Journal

RE UK went to Italy!

Words by Daniel Lapedus

13 June 2017

Last month, we sent a small delegation to the Critical Economics Summit in Bologna, Italy! One of our new trustees, Ben Pringle, wrote a blog about the weekend:

I had the pleasure of attending the ‘Critical Economics Summit’ that took place in Bologna between the 5th & 7th of May 2017. The setting for the event was the historic University of Bologna, which is the oldest university in the world having continuously operated since its established in 1088. I set off for Italy at the relatively early time of 4am to Liverpool Airport from Manchester, and arrived in Milan at 9:30am. From there I had the wonderful experience of a train journey from Milan to Bologna through the countryside, and after taking the ‘scenic route’ to the university (sounds better than saying I was lost) I arrived at the conference just in time for lunch.

The conference itself provides much to ponder on how we can help rethink economics throughout the EU and across the globe, however, it was fantastic to see many old faces from the ISIPE movement and meet some new ones as well. Conferences are a chance to hear about the magnificent work that is happening in the subject as well as providing an intellectual base to attendees. Economics may have been criticised over the years and at times I have been the one criticising it, this will remain true going forward; however there is still great work happening within the subject. The aim of the reform movement is to open the subject and create a pluralist education that embodies real world application and economic history. What those in mainstream economics fail to at times grasp is that neoclassical economics is included within that prescription, where we see monopoly we should create competition, as I was taught.

Catch up on the full blog post here, and for more great photos from the event please see here!